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<DIV>
<H1>Icom IC-7700s at G6PZ - a 9 month report </H1>
<P><FONT face=Verdana><STRONG>Mark Haynes, M0DXR</STRONG>, on behalf of the
<STRONG>Icom UK Contest Group G6PZ</STRONG>, has written a report on the two
IC-7700s that Icom UK donated. The report featured details of the performance,
features and usability of the Icom 7700 HF/50MHz transceiver.<BR><BR>The
</FONT><A href="http://www.g6pz.com/" target=_blank><FONT
face=Verdana>G6PZ</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana> Icom UK Contest Group, situated
in Somerset, was the proud receiver of three new radios in 2008. Station owner
Paul, G6PZ, purchased an </FONT><A
href="http://www.icomuk.co.uk/categoryRender.asp?categoryID=3785&productID=730&tID=647"
target=_blank><FONT face=Verdana>IC-7800</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana> and Icom
UK sponsored the station with two brand new </FONT><A
href="http://www.icomuk.co.uk/categoryRender.asp?categoryID=3785&productID=729&tID=647"
target=_blank><FONT face=Verdana>IC-7700s.</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana>
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The past 9 months has provided an excellent opportunity
for the team to test the transceivers in conjunction with new antennas, such as
a 4 element MonstIR HF yagi (3 elements on 40m) on a 100ft tower. <BR><BR>The
station is on the air for many contests during the year, including CQWW SSB CW
& RTTY, CQ WPX SSB & CW, </FONT><A href="http://www.rsgbiota.org/"
target=_blank><FONT face=Verdana>IOTA,</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana> IARU,
Russian DX, BERU, CQWW 160 etc. One of the main advantages of the station now is
that it has a complete ICOM line-up of transceivers. This has many benefits; for
example standardising the PC/band decoder configurations, therefore allowing
flexibility moving radios around, and the operators’ familiarity with the gear,
as the 7800 and 7700 tend to be fairly similar in usability. This is very
important as the operator needs to be able to make selections on the radio very
quickly, reacting to the band conditions at any time. The better the
familiarity, the quicker the adjustment and the higher the score! <BR><BR>The
radios have worked faultlessly during the year. Obviously, during busy contests
the bands are extremely crowded and operating can sometimes prove difficult and
frustrating regardless of equipment. The IC-7700 has taken this into
consideration with its selectivity and ease of use. Filter selection and choice
is magnificent. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The superb performance of the roofing filters that can be
found in the IC-7800 are provided also in the 7700, and are second to none –
it’s just what’s needed when there are literally thousands of stations on the
bands. We notice this mainly on 20m and 40m, where the filters allow RX to be
narrowed therefore reducing co-frequency interference. Noise reduction measures
and notching, which are also of much relief during contest conditions, provide
an operation which maximises ease, enjoyment, and scores. <BR><BR>A note about
robustness - I have operated all kinds of radios on DXpeditions, contests, and
special events, and it is always nice to feel the unit is tough and strong. The
IC-7800/7700 are robust yet attractive, and appear to have been designed such
that they are unlikely to have any loose parts or fall apart in any way, even if
they received a knock. <BR><BR>The clear displays of both radio types allow
external screen view using the monitor socket. At G6PZ, we present each station
on a separate LCD display, which helps monitor readings even when tired! The
clarity of the readings on these displays are superb. <BR><BR>Built in voice
recorders help save voices when CQing during quiet periods, and the quality is
identical to TXing direct from the microphone. The audio quality is truly
amazing, better that I’ve known on any other HF transceiver. Selection of the
width and type of compression is easy and effective.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Audio to drive the ACOM 2000 amplifiers needs only low
levels of mic gain and drive, with crisp clear audio at the antenna. This is
essential to ensuring we are heard at the other end during tough contest
conditions, and without a high quality clean signal, we would no doubt see the
effects in our results. <BR><BR>We have often received reports about the quality
of the signal being heard at the other end, which is always nice to hear as we
take our contesting very seriously. There is no margin for error in these
contests, and we are now confident that the station is supported by an extremely
efficient line up of transceivers, antennas, and above all,
operators!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The next project is for an 80m four square antenna, which
we are hopeful will help us improve on the band we feel is currently our
weakest. We are confident that the </FONT><A href="http://www.icomuk.co.uk/"
target=_blank><FONT face=Verdana>Icom</FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana> line up
coupled with this fantastic aerial will ensure top scores. <BR><BR>Our next
contest will be WPX CW at the end of May, followed by IARU (operating as GB5HQ
for the RSGB HQ nationwide effort), and then Islands on the Air (IOTA) at the
end of July. <BR><BR>Please listen out for us and give us a call! <BR><BR>73,
<BR><BR><EM><STRONG>Mark Haynes, M0DXR</STRONG></EM> <BR><BR>On behalf of the
G6PZ ICOM UK Contest Group.</FONT> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>